Verizon Wireless Announces 4G Venture Forum, Designed to Encourage Innovation for Advanced Mobile Networks

Verizon Wireless Announces 4G Venture Forum, Designed to Encourage Innovation
for Advanced Mobile Networks
Road to LTE Includes Collaboration Through New Venture Forum Focused on
Finding What's Next for 4G Networks

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless, the nation's
leading wireless provider, announced today the creation of the 4G Venture
Forum (4GVF), a new initiative which uniquely brings together financial
investment, product incubation and market validation for products and services
that will harness fourth generation (4G) wireless networks. The 4GVF is a
collaboration of Verizon Wireless; highly-regarded venture funds including
Alcatel-Lucent Ventures, Charles River Partners, New Venture Partners, North
Bridge Venture Partners, Norwest Venture Partners (NVP) and Redpoint Ventures
to facilitate the identification and commercialization of next-generation 4G
related technologies; and both Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson, the primary
network infrastructure providers for Verizon Wireless' upcoming 4G Long Term
Evolution (LTE) network.

This initiative further accelerates Verizon Wireless' open and innovative
approach encompassed by the Verizon Developer Community (VDC), its open
development program and the Verizon LTE Innovation Center.

From the wireless sector of the high-tech industry, Verizon Wireless,
Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson will contribute expertise in building advanced
wireless networks and provide programmatic input critical to concept success.
4GVF participants have identified up to $1.3 billion as available for 4GVF
development; participating venture capital firms have more than $9 billion
under management today. Other business details are not being disclosed.

The 4GVF was formed to help generate new ideas related to advanced wireless
networks and help innovative companies improve the odds for their success.
The reach and breadth of 4GVF partners will help ideas get to market quickly
with members working collaboratively to:
-- fund new ideas;
-- provide vital development assistance; and

-- validate the market and test concepts through labs and communities
from
Verizon, such as the Verizon LTE Innovation Center, the Joint
Innovation
Lab (JIL) and the VDC, as well as similar resources from
Alcatel-Lucent
and Ericsson.

Verizon Wireless' philosophy driving its 4G focus includes a strong belief
that the winners in the 4G world will be those companies that focus on their
core competencies and facilitate and embrace collaboration and partnering.

Roger Gurnani, senior vice president of product development at Verizon
Wireless, said, "Our initial focus has been to design and build the best 4G
wireless network in the nation. We also recognize a need to infuse developers
with the funding that will drive advancements, and we are committed to doing
this in a collaborative way. The 4GVF is focused on encouraging innovation
and leveraging applications in this new 4G wireless future. The 4GVF will
help ensure that we're not simply building the network and waiting for people
to come, but that applications are ready to go when the infrastructure is
ready."

The 4GVF may support and fund 4G advancements regardless of underlying network
technology; funded entities will not be contractually obligated to work with
Verizon Wireless and are not precluded from working with other wireless
service providers. The 4GVF will host regular meetings to review
opportunities, evaluate ideas, get reactions from stakeholders, and build
collective insight on where the market is heading.

Verizon Wireless is focused on building the most reliable next-generation 4G
LTE wireless network in the country - and one of the first on the globe - and
its ongoing commitment to building the best networks in the country is
essential as the company rolls out its 4G LTE network. Verizon Wireless plans
to launch its 4G LTE network in 25 to 30 markets in 2010 and cover virtually
its entire current nationwide 3G footprint with the next-generation network by
the end of 2013.

To learn more about the 4GVF, visit www.4GVF.com. For more information about
Verizon Wireless' LTE 4G network, visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless
voice and data network, serving 87.7 million customers. Headquartered in
Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 87,000 employees nationwide, Verizon
Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone
(NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To
preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills
of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia
Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

Media Contacts

Jeffrey Nelson
Verizon Wireless
908.559.7519
Jeffrey.Nelson@verizonwireless.com

Denise Panyik-Dale
Alcatel-Lucent
908.582.4897
dpanyikdale@alcatel-lucent.com

Kathy Egan Wummer
Ericsson Inc.
212.843.8422
kathy.egan@ericsson.com

Meg O'Leary
for Charles River Ventures
781.916.9090 ext. 802
meg@inkhouse.net

Julie Lydon
for New Venture Partners
415.816.9397 (mobile)
julie@lydonpr.com

Deanna Storey
North Bridge Venture Partners
781.290.0004
dls@northbridge.com

Katie Belding
Norwest Venture Partners (NVP)
650.321.8000
kbelding@nvp.com

Amy Swanson
for Redpoint Ventures
415.392.8282
aswanson@outcastpr.com

SOURCE Verizon Wireless

Jeffrey Nelson of Verizon Wireless, +1-908-559-7519,
Jeffrey.Nelson@verizonwireless.com; or Denise Panyik-Dale of Alcatel-Lucent,
+1-908-582-4897, dpanyikdale@alcatel-lucent.com; or Kathy Egan Wummer of
Ericsson Inc., +1-212-843-8422, kathy.egan@ericsson.com; or Meg O'Leary for
Charles River Ventures, +1-781-916-9090 ext. 802, meg@inkhouse.net; or Julie
Lydon, for New Venture Partners, +1-415-816-9397 (mobile), julie@lydonpr.com;
or Deanna Storey of North Bridge Venture Partners, +1-781-290-0004,
dls@northbridge.com; or Katie Belding of Norwest Venture Partners (NVP),
+1-650-321-8000, kbelding@nvp.com; or Amy Swanson for Redpoint Ventures,
+1-415-392-8282, aswanson@outcastpr.com